Happy Friday. I hope you had a good week. My wonderful wife and I did.

As many of you know as well as a writer, I am a salesperson. I work for myself. I had a few interesting things happen to me this week. As a salesperson and in my personal life I spoke with people about different things and was surprised about the lack of trust in many people.

​In business many of the people I spoke with didn't want to use the product and services I offer because they didn't think the products and services would work for them. They didn't trust the testimonials I showed them about the products and services and how it helped the business using it make more sales and money. They said that what I was offering was too good to be true at the price I was offering.

In my personal life I recommended a system to a friend that would help them save money on their power bill. They didn't believe that they could use the service to save money without making any extra payments. All they had to do was compare the cost of their electricity to the cost they could through another service. The company is a utilities re-seller. They commit to buying a large amount of electricity from Ontario Hydro and they get a better rate than we can. Then they sell the electricity to businesses and home owners at a lower rate than we get from our local power company. They have been in business since 1993. They wouldn't be in business if it didn't work. My friend didn't believe me because said it sounded to good to be true.

In both instances I wasn't asking people to do something they weren't already doing. I didn't ask them for a long term commitment. I was offering to help them.

Both these incidents got me thinking about the overall lack of trust in people. Thinking of the lack of trust in people led me to musing about how lack of trust is holding people back from trying new things. How many times have you decided not to buy or do something because it sounded too good to be true or it wasn't worth the money or your time? In other other words you had no trust in it.

I guess I'm pretty gullible because when people tell me about something I take their word for it. Yes, I look into before I try it but the only thing that stops me is I find something big wrong. I know that nothing is perfect and I accept that. I also know that not all guarantees work out. But... I do know that if I don't try things out I may miss out on something that will help me or that I will enjoy.

Yes, I've had problems with things. But... I don't let the fear of having problems with things or a lack of trust from things not working out in the past stop me.

How has lack of trust held you back?

Have you missed out on opportunities or products that you may have used or enjoyed?

Have you held back from trying new things because you thought things sounded to good to be true?

Have you stopped listening to someone because you didn't trust what they were saying?

Do you let lack of trust keep you from trying something that has worked for hundreds or thousands of other people?

Is the lack of trust you feel really a lack of trust or are you afraid of being taken advantage of or suffering a loss or embarrassment?

"Someone who thinks the world is always cheating him is right. He is missing that wonderful feeling of trust in someone or something." Eric Hoffer

"The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them." Ernest Hemingway

“Deciding whether or not to trust a person is like deciding whether or not to climb a tree because you might get a wonderful view from the highest branch or you might simply get covered in sap and for this reason many people choose to spend their time alone and indoors where it is harder to get a splinter.” Lemony Snicket, The Penultimate Peril